Edge of Madness
Edge of Madness is a story that takes place after the events of Wolves At The Door and focuses on Arbiter's attempts to save Red from the clutches of Jack - the story is action-packed but also has considerable chunks of story in it that (as always) adds further to the Wonderland mythos.. Prologue The scene began in a twisted version of a wooden cabin - grown to nightmarish proportions as a skeletal figure dressed in rags stands before the gigantic burning log fire, the flames burning a ghostly green as the figure holds a red-cloaked woman in its arms, the woman appearing to be lifeless. "You're persistance, Ryou - is it because you failed to save Inferno? do you still feel ashamed? or is it the fact you know as well as I do that Red has went completely mad and it's all your fault.. Evil.. Misery.. they were just manifestations of the madness within Red.. caused by the death of her beloved.. no matter.. she'll learn to love again.." - the figure mocks, extending a horrific, gnarled tongue that has a tiny man's head at the end - the head having blond hair and fair skin, the tiny head licks at the cheek of the lifeless woman before grinning at Arbiter. "Mark my words, demon," said Arbiter through grit teeth, pointing his greatsword at the monstrous figure. "I will save Red. But before I do, I will thrash you within an inch of your life and then tear out your heart as slowly as possible." The skeletal figure suddenly tosses the lifeless woman into fire and transforms into a grotesque snake with the same head as had previous been on the end of the tongue - only now scaled to the figure's body as it grinned at Arbiter: "My poor Ryou.. don't you understand? you're already mad.. why else would you be here? ..everyone who goes mad has to go through one of my stories.. you see the Hatter and I have a deal - I help drive everyone mad and he ensures that I remain the true ruler of the Kingdom.. I know.. eventually the Kingdom will be destroyed and I shall have to find a new world to rule over but as long as the Hatter is around I will be too.. see? it maybe the Hatter's universe but it will always be my story.. he owns the universe.. I shape it..". "I may be mad... so what?" challenged Arbiter. "It means nothing. If this is your story, then I will make sure this is your final chapter." The figure looks ready to answer when suddenly a new voice interrupts; Arbiter gave a start and for a brief moment the grin on the monster fades as the flames take on the shape of a bestial paw that swipes out, grabbing the "worm" and dragging it into the fire: <<..this is my story now..>>. Forest of Desire (Paraphilia) It had happened so quickly that Arbiter had no time to react. He stood in shocked silence for a moment, before running up to the fire. There was no sign of Red, or Jack, and he cursed under his breath. After a moment or two Arbiter notices a lone wolf standing by a dirt path leading into a dark forest, the sky above is pitch black save a strange moon that glows green - the wolf stares at Arbiter and is impossibly large, so much so that he wonders how such a beast evaded his original notice. "What are you?" asked Arbiter. The wolf simply continues to stare at Arbiter, then growls <<..god or demon.. matters not what men call us.. this is the realm of mad things.. ever-changing.. this is our world.. begone or face the consequences..>> - with that the gigantic wolf disappears in a fine green mist that seems to drift up into the sky, as if heading for the moon itself. The dark forest remains ahead, oddly familiar yet alien at the same time - the path similar to that which led to Red's cabin the last time Arbiter had faced her inner-demons.. only as a flock of crows pass-by Arbiter sees this is different from Red's inner-mind as the birds appear to have horrific faces akin to human infants, chittering madly as they soar deeper into the forest. Keeping a tight grip on his blade, Arbiter hurried into the forest. "Neither god nor demon will stop me... Red... if I must fight my way through Hell to save you, then so be it... you're all I have left..." As Arbiter entered the forest properly he began to see the true extent of the corruption, strange animals resembling lizards with human eyes growing from their backs scuttled around plants that ended with wriggling toes, malformed hands and paws - the path continued to wind across the forest and soon he could see what looked like Red's cabin, only it was now made of rotten gingerbread and candy, the state of the rot so bad it was visible even from afar and strange green smoke flew from a barely standing chimney stack. Arbiter hurried to the cabin, shoving the door open and looking around. "Red?" he called out. The inside of the cabin resembles an impossible spiraling staircase made of living tissue, a horrendous bird-cage suspends itself high above on a ceiling that seems to move as if breathing - directly below is a terrible sight, a gigantic mass of tendrils with malevolent thought, some moving as if to stare at Arbiter, yet they have no eyes, only gaping mouths akin to leeches: "..a dashing prince? ..no.. a brave knight, perhaps? ..or just some rogue seeking the prize? ..no matter.. no matter.. you shall do.. yes.. we shall have such fun together.. the Queen.. you seek her? ..you crave her? ..oh how sweet the Master's tale shall be.. to have such desperation within it..". "I've no time for games," said Arbiter. "Tell me where Red is." "..eager? ..good.. yes.. you know what they say about love.. why ask when you can take? ..the Master will share his prize with you, Ryou.. just as he did the dead prince of Avalon.. he is kind.. to allow a half-breed the honor.. you can have your share soon enough.." the creature replied, tendrils swaying as the whole area seems to pulsate around its blasphemous form. "Red is no prize to be shared, creature," said Arbiter through grit teeth. He pointed his blade at the creature below. "Though your still-beating heart is another matter entirely. Tell me where Red is, or I will kill you." "Of course.. you want her for yourself now that your adopted brother has died.. that is the sign of the Alpha male.. is it not? ..you seek to take the place of your fallen brother.. take his herd and raise it as your own.. the Master bores of your attempts to play the "better".. as for killing us.. you do not know where you are.." the creature responds, the bird-cage opening as Red falls to the ground next to Arbiter, though she is covered by her red cloak. "Red!" called out Arbiter, abandoning his hostility and dropping his blade. He knelt down by her. "Red?" The cloak suddenly shatters to reveal nothing but blacked rose petals - Red's voice whispering in the wind: "..we were gods, shaping the universe to our will.. yet like all gods we were blind to our own extinction.. why, Arbiter? ..why did we waste our time trying to save them when we could of saved ourselves?.. to bring happiness to others.. when would we have our happiness?". The room begins to shift, taking on the form of the old castle of Red's Kingdom, during a great feast - many familiar faces manifest, smiling and celebrating : yet in a corridor just outside the feasting room a pair of figures stand in silence, Red and Inferno. Arbiter stood, looking over to Red and Inferno. He walked toward them, past the celebrating guests, bombarded from all sides by their distorted laughter. "..you resented him, didn't you Arbiter? ..he may of been like a brother to you but he was not worthy of this.. he was already a Prince.. he had everything.. do not lie to me.. or to yourself.. we both know what you wanted.." The corridor seems to grow impossibly long as Arbiter tries to get closer, Red and Inferno embracing as Arbiter seems to be left ever alone - though a scrap of Red's cloak lays at Arbiter's feet: as red as blood. Arbiter knelt down and picked up the red scrap, staring at it, trance-like. "It's true," said Arbiter, through grit teeth, "that I harbored some resentment toward my brother... but Red's love already belonged to him, and it would have dishonored her and my brother's memory if I tried to change that." "..how noble.. yet the Alpha always takes his prize in the end.. a lone wolf can try to honor his fallen brother but in the end he will always do what he must.. for the good of the pack.." The image of Inferno fades into the shadows, disappearing completely as the castle shifts into a dark forest and Red sits by an old tree, her cloak tattered as black rose petals rain down from the sky. "..a daughter without a father.. a Queen without a King.. this is no way for a pack to end, Arbiter.. not after all that you did.. what better way to keep your brother's memory alive than to keep the pack strong?". "Red," said Arbiter as he approached- although his face did not betray it, his thoughts were in turmoil. Red stared at Arbiter in silence, the black rose petals continuing to shower down as she sits - the forest seeming to be in an eternal night as a strange moon shines overhead, a flock of ravens fly by with their distinctive call. "..how long has it been, Ryou, since you last felt happiness? ..isn't it your right? ..Sangria requires a father.. Red requires a mate.. the universe requires its rulers.. the Demigods are not yet dead.. two survive.. that's all it takes to ensure the memory lives on forever.." a voice whispers, no longer Red's but unknown to Arbiter - playing in the wind. "Forever," repeated Arbiter. He fell to his knees. "Red," he said, barely above a whisper. "Everything I ever wanted was in front of me the whole time... why didn't I take it? We were gods... together, we achieved the impossible... The Watchers, the Hatter... Arodnap, Eclipse... Orpheus, Ebonscale... all fell before us, but at what cost? Despite our power, why could we never be at peace?" Red keeps silent, staring at Arbiter - her eyes turn dark like pools of water in the night, her skin growing pale as the red of her cloak becoming more vivid as the black rose petals stir into a storm. "You spent so long bringing peace to the Multiverse.. bringing happy endings to an ungrateful population.. now is the time for you to have your own happy ending - go on Ryou.. stop playing the hero.. look where that has led you.." the voice whispers. "The temptation to let go of my... my responsibility... it hurts, how much it weighs down upon me," said Arbiter. "But why should I let it? Come, Red. We shall finally let go of the shackles of being heroes, and we will take control of our fate. I will find us a happy ending." Red stood up and her form began to fall apart as she grew impossibly thin and tall, her features melting as her arms and legs became little more than pale whips, the bulbous mass that was once her head now becoming like a horrific white rose - "..done already? how cute.. you will be easy, Ryou.. my Master shall tear you apart.. but first.. a little word of wisdom.. happy endings don't exist.." - with that the creature slashes with those whips, that form impossibly sharp thorns akin to fish-hooks, aimed towards Arbiter's legs. Stunned by the sudden change, Arbiter barely leapt away in time. "Damn myself," he thought, "I should have seen this..." The creature lets out a laugh and continues to lash out with those whips, the voice taunting "..I admit it is a shame.. I was all ready to keep you.. yet the Master made it clear - we are here to stall you, Arbiter.. ah yes.. imagine all the things our Master is teaching your beloved as we speak.. all the painful things she'll enjoy nevertheless.. that's the glory of the Master, in the end.. everyone wants what he gives - yet they still resist.. it's amazing.. you're so far behind him it's almost pathetic..". In silence Arbiter fought, deflecting the hooked vines with his blade and moving forward towards the twisted rose, undeterred save to wince in pain as the vines cut his arms and legs. "Oh? giving up so soon? what happened to your "happy ending"? hehehe.." the creature taunts as it continues to lash out, malice growing as it cuts deep with its next words "..you should be grateful, Ryou - you never got a taste of Red, you don't owe Jack anything.. not like the Pendragon.. you see, Jack likes to share but he expects a reward- the young Pendragon.. she'll make a good payment for Jack's generosity". A dark, inhuman look crossed Arbiter's face. "I'll tear Jack and this entire realm apart if he dares touch her," he said, reaching the stem of the twisted rose. "And I'll start with you." He swung his blade, crackling with black energy, in a horizontal arc at the stem. "Ryou, Ryou.. you can't save her.. Jack always get his reward.." the creature chuckles, the blade slicing across the stem as the entity withers away into black ash, the area shaking violently as a shard of glowing metal manifests where the spirit vanished, half buried in the black ash. As the shaking stops Arbiter notices the place has shifted to reveal a massive paw print, so vast he stands in the center of it alongside the black ash : the rest of the area nothing but barren earth as a flock of ravens flew overhead, a glowing green moon shining ominously in a dark and alien sky. Arbiter steps forth, tentative, and with a gesture, levitates the shard of metal towards himself. He observes it closely. As Arbiter levitates the shard of metal a ghostly girl appears in a manner he can only observe her from the corner of his eye - her voice speaking as her form remains largely in shadow: "..the demons leave behind shards of themselves, be careful.. for these shards can be the key to breaking Jack's curse.. but they can also be your undoing.. the Wolf is active tonight.. she is a manipulator, a god of chaos.. yet she has no power over Jack.. it angers her.. be mindful you don't become her pawn.. or his..". Category:Storyarcs Category:Fantasy Category:Grimdark Category:Little-Red Burning Village (Pyromania) Sleeping Caverns (Catatonia) The Uncreated (Crimson) River of Addiction (Obsession) The House That Jack Built (Jack) Baleful Beanstalk (Jack) Castle of Calamity (Jack) Big Bad Wolf (Amarok) Category:Storyarcs Category:Fantasy Category:Grimdark Category:Little-Red